Sewer-cleaner.



W. J. STEVBNSON. SEWER CLEANER.

APPLIOATION FILED M1023, 1913.

1,102,304, Patented July 7, 1914.

W. J. STEVENSON.

SEWER CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED 11110.23, 1913.

Patented July '7, 1,914,

z sIIImT`B-sIInnT 2,

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unirsi) Nsemillas 4PATENT OFFICE.

. l WILLIAM J'. STEVENSON, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

sswsnfctnanen Specification of Lettera Iatcnt.

- Patented uly 7, 1914.

Appneauon mec December as, ma. sensi nu. 868,372.

yTo all whom 'it may concern Be it known that 1, WnimamwJ. Sfrnvieln son, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Mil-1 waukee and State of Wisconsin, have in` vented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewer-Cleaners; and I do hereby'. declare that the following is a full, clear,` and exact description thereof.

My invention refers to portable cleaners, its object bein toprovide a simple, eco'-` nomical and e ective device of the above character, the same being especially adapted for use in cleaning and ushing sewers. l

The arrangement and construction of' my improved device is such that a shell-like body having a exible hose attached to one end and a cable to the opposite end is drawn through the pipe or sewer to be cleaned and coincident to travel thereof a jet' of steam water, or air su plied through the hose isl delivered and exliausted from a motor contained in the shell. The motor, through a suitable gear connection imparts rotation to a scraperset in advance of the shell, the said scraper comprising a series of helically arranged vanes or blades that are capable of slight contraction and expansion, whereby` solid foreign matter is loosened from the walls of the sewer, it being understood that the exhaust water, after passing through the motor,is discharged in advance of the shell for ushing purposes.

With the above objects in view the invention consists in certain peculiarities' of construction and combination of parts as set forth hereinafter with reference to the accompanying illustrations and subsequently claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 represents an elevation of a cleaning device yembodying the features of my invention, the same beg shown partly broken away and in section as indicated by lines 1--1 of Figs. 2, 3 and 4; Fig. 2, a detailed cross section of the device, the section being indicated by line -2-2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3, adetailed longi tudinal sectional view of thel shell portion .of the cleaner showing a rotor in connection mechanism. l v

Referring by characters to the drawings, 1 represents a hollow shell-like body open at itsends and provided with a longitudinally disposed partition' wall 2, whereby a com-` partment 3 is formed in the shell extending from its receiving end to the bottom delivery or discharge mouth 3.

As best shown in Fi 3, the compartment 3 is provided with an intermediate circular pocket 3 for the reception of a rotor 4 that is notched at its eriphery to form vanes whereby water undr pressure iowing through the compartment imparts .motion to said rotor, the same constituting a motor. The rotor is provided with a circular channel 4 having leads 4 that communicate with the interstices of the varies, whereby water or steam is permitted a free exhaust toi the' delivery mouth 3. The rotor is mounted upon a shaft 5 which extends through an aperture in the partition wall and is journaled in suitable ball-bearings 6,

G', that are fitted to the outer rectangular walls of said shell. ,The motor-shaft 5 also carries a pinion 7, which pinion meshes with a gear-wheei 7 that is loosely mounted upon a' fixed stud 8, the same being extended through one wall of the shell and provided with a threaded end which engages a huh 2 that is formed at the discharge end of the partition wall 2. The gear-wheel 7 also carries a beveled pinion 9, which pinion is arranged to impart motion to a scraper to be hereinafter/described.

The receiving end of the shell 1 communicates withV the water compartment 8 and is which t reads constitute one member of a hose coupling connection, not shown. The shell is also provided with two sets of radially disposed feet 10,v which feet carry guide rollers 10 that are adapted to engage the side walls of the pipe or sewer. The feet rlirovided with a threaded mouth 1',

ing arm'svconnstituting a detail of the scraper are bolted to bracket members 11, which bracket members in turn are secured to the 13 of a spider having hollow arms 14 that extend from the sleeve portion, as best shown in Figs. 1, Ll and 5. Fitted in each arm is a plug l5 having wings 15 Which engage slots 10 that are formed in said arms whereby the plugs are guided. The plugs are retained within the arms by means of bolts 17 which pass therethrough and are adapted to have play in slots 17 that are formed in the arms at rifrht angles to the Eaci plug is forced plug wing slots 16. outwardly by a coiled spring 18, which outward movement is limited by the bolts 17 the said coiled springs being interposed between the bottom of the plug and the base of the arm to which it is applied.

The ends of each plug are forked for the reception of the cutting end of a blade 19, which blade is secured to the plug by means of a bolt 20 that passes through a slot in the blade end and apertures with which the plug is provided. Each blade 19 is helical in shape and extends forwardly from its cutting end, being contracted and secured at its forward end to ears 21 that project from the sleeve portion of the spider. The sleeve portion of the spider is provided at its ends with ball-bearings 22', whereby said spider and the helical blades which constitute a scraper are capable of revolvin' at high speed with a minimum amount of frictional resistance. The inner end of the sleeve portion of the spider has secured thereto a beveled wheel 9, which'beveled wheel is adapted to mesh with the beveled pinion 9, whereby motion is imparted to the scraper mechanism. The forward end of the stem carries an eyed head 23, to which head is attached a cable 23', or other flexible draft line, whereby the cleaner device is drawn through a section of sewer pipe.

In the operation of the device, a exible hose is attached to the coupling member l and power being applied to the draft cable the cleaner as a whole is caused to travel through the pipe, being guided by the sets of legs carrying rollers which servetofmaintain the device in practically a central position relative to the inner walls of the pipe. (1o-incident to the travel, water is intro duced through the hose pipe and asit travels through the compartment 3 motion is imparted to the motor or rotor, whereby the scraper is positively rotated through its gear connection with the motor. The outer cutting ends of the helically shaped blades, in their rapid rotation, will thus loosen or sever any foreign matter which has adhered to the walls of the sewer pipe and this loosened matter will be gradually drawn in toward the forward end of the blades due to their configuration. Thus as the device moves forwardly all foreign matter is separated from the pipe and carried with the stem to the end of the pipe section. Co-incident incarica to this positive separation of `the foreign matter from the walls of the sewer pipe the exhaust water or steam from the motor is discharged downwardly and forwardly of the shell body, whereby the sewer is thoroughly flushed during the scraping operation, the current of water causing ne particles to be forced in the direction of travel of the device. Hence it is apparent that after the sewer section has been subjected to the cleansing operation aforesaid it is left in a sanitary condition and the next section of sewer is then subjected to the same operation.

Attention is called to the fact that, owing to the rear ends of the blades being capable .of slight yield, any hard substance such as cement or the like to which the blades are subjected in their rotation, will not injureV or break said blades as, under suchV conditions, they will yield and ride over such surfaces. Furthermore it is apparent that, owing to the weight of the body and its gear connection to the cleaner mechanism, there will be no tendency for said body to rotate in opposition to power applied to the revoluble scraper, this resistance being reinforced by engagement of at least two guide rollers of each set with the sewer walls.

ln order to protect the gearing the discharge end of the shell-like body is closed by ahead 24, which head is centrally apertured to admit passage therethrough of the sleeve 13. rlhus all the gearin and forward or discharge end of the shell ody is closed to revent foreign matter from entering the shell and choking or 'otherwise marring the gear train. i

l claim:

1. A cleaning and Bushing device comprising an open-ended shell having a longi- `tudinally disposed compartment extending therethrough, the same being provided with a pocket, a rotor revolubly mounted within the ocket, a fixed stem extendinflr from the disc arge-end of the shell, a spider having hollow arms revolubly mounted upon the stem, plugs yieldably fitted to the spider arms, helical blades having their rear ends secured to the plugs and their forward ends secured to the spider, a gear train connect'- ing the spider and rotor, and a hose coupling connection carried by the shell at its receiving end. p

2. A. cleaning and flushing device comprising a shell, a rotor mounted therein, means for admitting water to the rotor, means for exhausting water from said rotor, a revoluble s ider in gear connection with the rotor, ho low arms extending from the spider, plugs slidably mounted within the arms, coiled springs seated in the hollow arms and opposed to the plugs, and helical blades having their forward ends in pivotal union with the spider, the rear ends of the blades being secured to the spring-opposed union with the plugs and their forward ends plugs. in pivotal union with the sleeve portion of 3. "A cleaning and flushing device coInthe spider, a gear-train connecting the said prisinvr an open-ended shell having a longisleeve portion of the spider and rotor, and 5 tudinzilly disposed compartment extending a hose coupling connection carried by the zu therethrough, the same being provided with shell at its receiving end. a pocket, a rotor revolubly mounted within In testimony that I claim the foregoing the ocket, a fixed stemextendin from the I have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee disc arge end of the shell, a spier having in the county of Milwaukee and State of 10 a sleeve ortion revolubly mounted upon the Wisconsin in the presence of two witnesses. 25

stem, ho low arms extending from the sleeve I 4 portion, plugs yieldably itted to the spider WILLIAM J STEVENSON' arms, means for limiting the yielding move- Witnesses: ment of the plugs in both directions, helical GEO. W. YOUNG,

15 blades having their rear ends in pivotal M. E. DOWNEY. 

